The Phantom's Treasure
The Phantom's Treasure | |
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Start date: | July 14th, 1941 |
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End date: | January 31st, 1942 |
# of strips: | 174 (29 weeks) |
Writer: | Lee Falk |
Artist: | Ray Moore |
Original colorist: | N/A |
Preceded by: | "Diana Aviatrix Lost" |
Followed by: | "The Inexorables" |
"The Phantom's Treasure" is the 15th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.
Plot synopsis
The Phantom arrives at Skull Cave and beings investigating the disappearance of his ancestral treasure; Guran explains the tribe was away on an annual pilgrimage when the theft occurred and the Phantom deduces it must have involved one of the Bandar who knew of the tribe's habits. Guran reveals that he has a rule-breaking son name Timo; Timo had revealed the existence of the treasure in an effort to ingratiate himself with a gang of beachcombers in Morristown, led by a man named Duke. The gang stole the treasure and, after returning to Morristown, cut Timo out of the deal; Duke has been spending the last several months in the town romancing a waitress named Rita whom he was always infatuated with, and slowly selling off the ancient coins from the treasure. The Phantom eventually makes his way to Morristown and contacts the bank regarding any ancient coins they may have dealt in, at which point they reveal their business with Duke; He then infiltrates Duke's estate and finds Rita who, upon learning Duke's newfound wealth is stolen, expresses her regret being involved with criminals and helps the Phantom capture Duke. The Phantom carries Duke off to the roof of the estate and begins to interrogate him, meanwhile Duke's gang, having an interest in the treasure and fearing their gunshots will bring police, find Timo and instruct him to kill a man in order to get his stake in the treasure; Timo agrees but does not realize he is aiming at the Phantom until his arrow finds its mark.
Timo, expressing immediate regret, wanders forlorn from the estate as the Phantom lay dying from Bandar poison, while Duke and his gang flee with three sacks and the location of the rest of the treasure; Meanwhile, Rita has found the dying Phantom, who instructs her to find Timo, which she does and the Phantom tells him of the antidote needed for the poison. Timo locates the ingredients with Devil nipping at his heels and the Phantom begins to recover, though still weakened. Duke and his gang, however, have had a change of mind and return to the estate to finish off the Phantom; The jungle tribes have heard of the Phantom's possible death and rally to the estate to witness either his death or resurrection, which scares off the gang once again. The Phantom recovers and is back on the trail of Duke's gang, tracking them as stowaways on the next freighter leaving Morristown; The Phantom stows away on the freighter as well and sows dissention among the gang, who eventually reveal to the Captain the presence of the Phantom on the ship and cut him into a share of the treasure for his help. The Captain agrees initially, however, after capturing the Phantom he captures the gang as well in an attempt to take all the treasure for himself.
The native crewmembers, upon realizing the Captain's captive is the Phantom, mutiny in order to free the Ghost Who Walks, and the Captain, Duke, and his gang are all turned over to the authorities, where Duke reveals the hiding place of the Phantom's treasure. Timo agrees to drink the Bandar poison as punishment for his betrayal of the Phantom's secrets, but the Phantom refuses, instructing Timo to dedicate his life to serving his tribe dutifully.
Appearances
Recurring characters
One-time characters
- Rita
- Duke
- Mike
- Tiny
- Joe
- Nils
Behind the scenes
- The title "The Phantom's Treasure" appears in the last daily strip of the preceding story, and in the first strip of the story itself.
Related stories
Referenced in
- "The Challenge" by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan
Reprints
This story has been published in the following publications:
Argentina
- "El Tesoro de La Sombra", Tit-Bits #1795 – #1826 (1944)
Australia
- The Phantom #5 (1948)
- The Phantom #76B (1955)
- The Phantom #144 (1959)
- The Phantom #244 (1963)
- The Phantom #379 (1968)
- The Phantom #541 (1974)
- The Phantom #722 (1981)
- The Phantom #972 (1991)
- The Phantom #5 replica, included with The Phantom #1125 (1996)
- The Phantom #1436 (2006)
- The Phantom #1838 (2019)
Brazil
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", O Globo Juvenil #659 –#748 (1941-1942)
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", Fantasma Edição Extra #2 (1956)
- "O Tesouro", Fantasma #69 (1962)
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", O Fantasma #3 (1970; edited together with "Diana Aviatrix Lost")
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", Fantasma #326 (1983)
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #2 (1993)
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", O Fantasma #3 (2015)
- "O Tesouro do Fantasma", O Fantasma Omnibus: O Circulo Dourado e Outras Histórias (2023)
Canada
- La Patrie July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- L'Action catholique August 6, 1941 – March 3, 1942
Denmark
- "Tempelruinens gåde", Fantomet #19 (1972; only part 1)
- Comics - Verdens bedste tegneserier #3 (1972; only part 2)
Egypt
- Majalet Almustaqbal ? (1948; incomplete)
Finland
- Karjalainen March 16, 1943 – September 20, 1943
- "Naamio ja kadonnut aarre", Kippari Kalle 4/1955
- "Vaarojen alus", Sarjakirja 1/1988
- "Mustanaamion aarre", Ilta-Sanomat October 6, 2016 – November 24, 2016
France
- "La magnifique aventure", Le Fantôme Spécial #4 and "La justice de l'Ombre", #5 (1963-64)
Italy
- "La magnifica avventura", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #27 and "La giustizia dell'Ombra", #29 (1963)
- "Furto alla caverna del teschio", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #167 and "La giustizia dell'Ombra", #168 (1966)
- "Il tesoro dell'Uomo mascherato", Phantom #5, "Il veleno dei Bandar", #6, and "Il cargo dei pirati", #7(1977)
- "Nel paese del pigmei", Phantom #15 (1992)
- "Nel paese dei pigmei", The Phantom #2 (2015)
New Zealand
Norway
- Aftenposten August 16, 1943 – March 9, 1944
- "Farenes skip", Fantomet 22/1970
- "Farenes skip", Fantomet 23/1986 (1 page only)
- "Farenes skip", Serie-pocket #134 (1988)
- "Farenes skip", Krønikebok #27 (2006)
- "Jakten på den forsvunne skatten", Fantomet 9-10/2012
- "Farenes skip", Fantomet Kronologisk #18 (2021)
Spain
- "El tesoro del Hombre Ensmascarado", Aventurero ? (1945)
- El Hombre Enmascarado #20, "El tesoro del Hombre Enmascarado", #21, "La justicia del Hombre Enmascarado", #22, "Invasion", #23 (1971)
- "El tesoro del Fantasma", El Hombre Enmascarado #47 – #48 (1977)
- "El tesoro del Fantasma", El Hombre Enmascarado #50, "El Fantasma envenenado", #51 – #52 (1991)
- "El tesoro del fantasma", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #10 (2021)
Sweden
- "Dragos skatt", Svenska Dagbladet May 31, 1943 – December 22, 1943
- "Dragos skatt", Halland August 16, 1943 – February 25, 1944
- "Den stulna djungelskatten", Fantomen 11/1961 and "Farornas skepp", Fantomen 1/1962
- "Farornas skepp", Comics - Den stora serieboken #3 (1971; only part 2)
- "Jakten på den försvunna skatten", Fantomen 10-11/2012
- "Den stulna djungelskatten", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1961, Del 3 (2012) and "Farornas skepp", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1962, Del 1 (2012)
USA
- Chester Times July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Daily Item July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Evening News July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Herald News July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Monessen Daily Independent July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Nassau Daily Review-Star July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Oxnard Press-Courier July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Richmond Times-Dispatch July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Rome Daily Sentinel July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Sandusky Register Star News July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- Syracuse Herald Journal July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Washington Reporter July 14, 1941 – January 31, 1942
- The Nippu Jiji August 22, 1941 – May 5, 1942 (interrupted after the strip of November 18, 1941 )
- Hanford Morning Journal November 10, 1941 – January 31, 1942 - the last twelve weeks only
- Ace Comics #70 – #77 (1943)
- The Phantom's Treasure (1976)
- The Phantom's Treasure (2000)
- The Complete Newspaper Dailies Vol. Four 1940–1943 (2012)
West Germany
- "Die Jagd nach dem Schatz", Phantom-Heft 8/1954
- Comics - Weltbekannte Zeichenserien #5 (1974; only part 2)